CEO: What my company's learned from the pandemic

How can your company emulate Amazon's winning culture? | Why middle managers matter | CEO: What my company's learned from the pandemic Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( February 16, 2021 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [How can your company emulate Amazon's winning culture?]( The cultural success engineered by Jeff Bezos at Amazon depends on traits like focusing on customer needs, fully investing in each viable line of business and having high expectations for employees without pitting them against each other, writes Forrester Vice President Brendan Witcher. Bezos "hired great people to develop great ideas, and he supported them fully, even if he had doubts about their concepts," Witcher writes. Full Story: [Forrester]( (2/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Why middle managers matter]( A layer of middle management can give employees a chance to grow into leadership roles and become mentors while providing the "glue" teams need to operate properly, say Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger of McKinsey. "These roles should be coveted and nurtured and curated, not eliminated," Schaninger says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (2/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( How Does Recognition Reinforce Success? While recognition can be viewed as a feel-good topic, it also can be necessary for your business goals. But how? In this e-book, we share four ways that recognition reinforces success in continuous performance management. [Download Now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [CEO: What my company's learned from the pandemic]( The pandemic has shown businesses that rapid change is possible and that employees and customers can quickly adapt to new ways of doing business, writes Joji Tokunaga, president and CEO for Ricoh Americas. "What we have learned in 2020 is that the more seamless we can make these transitions, the more effective workers are empowered to be," he writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (2/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Not everything can be negotiated]( Every business acquisition is different because companies have unique nonnegotiables, whether its price, employee contracts, equity or intellectual property, writes Seiler Tucker CEO Michelle Seiler Tucker. "Know what your non-negotiables are before you get to the table, and have a neutral party or an advisor or broker help get you to the finish line," she writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive online]( (2/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Keep your labor law posters compliant! J.J. Keller's Labor Law Poster Update Service ensures that you will receive an updated poster if a required posting change occurs during your subscription period, or they pay the fine. Both physical and electronic posters are available.[Subscribe Today!]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Don't just sit there all day -- move!]( Walking meetings, standing presentations and "a quick shake-out" before a meeting are just a few ways to be more active during the workday, writes Lexie Thrash. "We all need a little lightness, joy, and reminder to connect with our body right now, even if it's only for a minute," she writes. Full Story: [Duarte]( (2/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [5 ways feedback can inspire better performance]( Give your employees meaningful feedback by making sure they know what success looks like and including their perspective on how things may need to change, write Karin Hurt and David Dye. "When behavior doesn't change, it's often because the feedback is too vague or the conversation goes too long and the employee forgets what they need to do," they write. Full Story: [Let's Grow Leaders]( (2/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( 5 Ways to Hire Like It’s 2021 We dug deep to learn what job seekers want from an employer for 2021. While there are more candidates seeking work, there's also more competition among businesses for the most qualified people. [Get the leading edge with this free guide](. ADVERTISEMENT: Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our partners - [GUIDE: 2020's Top 10 Management Templates and Checklists]( - [EBOOK: Time Management - You're Doing it Wrong]( - [GUIDE: Secrets to Productivity, Work/Life Balance and Success]( - [101 Ready Made Excel Templates]( - [GUIDE: How to Improve Your Presentation Skills for Video Conferencing]( [] SmartPulse [] How do most leaders in your organization view the world? An abundance mindset: There's plenty of rewards to go around, so focus on making the pie bigger 53.93% A scarcity mindset: There's only so much to go around, so you should fight for a bigger share of the pie 46.07% [] There's plenty for everyone. While an abundance mindset is more prevalent, it's not by much. For the 46% of you living in a scarcity mindset, recognize the anxiety it causes and the innovation it stifles. Only seeing what is available today prevents creativity, partnerships, and expanded opportunities. Challenge yourself to ask how you can make the pie bigger for yourself. Are there organizations you can partner with to get into new markets, products, or services? Are there new customers you can serve? Are there new projects you can propose internally that could create promotion opportunities for people? Stop limiting yourself to what is going on today. Every time you hear someone propose a limit, see if you can think of ways to expand that boundary. You won't be able to do it for everything but you may surprise yourself with how big you can make the pie! -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN-- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: How does your organization view older job candidates? [Vote]( [They're highly desirable because of their experience and wisdom]( [Vote]( [They're desirable in certain situations requiring specific expertise]( [Vote]( [They're as desirable as any other candidate]( [Vote]( [They're less desirable because of cost or short future work horizons]( [Vote]( [They're undesirable because of cost, future work horizons and culture fit]( [] In Their Own Words [] [5 things to know about how innovation spreads]( People tend to adopt products or ideas faster when at least 25% of the population agree on its value, writes University of Pennsylvania professor Damon Centola. Also discussed are what terms like "periphery," "influencer" and "virality" mean in the context of social change. Full Story: [Next Big Idea Club Magazine]( (2/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Video shows snowflake emerging from water droplet]( [Video shows snowflake emerging from water droplet]( (YouTube/Another Perspective) This two-minute closeup video is played in reverse, so instead of a snowflake melting, we receive the illusion of a snowflake emerging from a water droplet. Full Story: [YouTube/Another Perspective]( (2/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [Here's a guide to 1-on-1 meetings]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Why we need more laughter at work]( Nir & Far blog [] - [15 tips for better video presentations]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [3 insights into becoming a better negotiator]( PR Daily [] - [Clean your mind's windshield to regain perspective]( Frank Sonnenberg Online [] About The Editor [] James daSilva James daSilva Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! I've had the great fortune of editing this email for nearly 10 years. Before that, I was a copy editor, including at a small daily newspaper in upstate New York. Thank you for reading and subscribing. I know you don't need to read SmartBrief on Leadership. Rather, you're here because you're on a lifelong journey -- a journey of being a better leader, communicator and thinker. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? A favorite story from The Onion? [Drop me a note.](mailto:jdasilva@smartbrief.com) Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] Don't be afraid to take time to learn. 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